An ICv2 Release. Pop culture publishing and consulting company ICv2 has announced that Pulitzer Prize winning graphic novelist Art Spiegelman will deliver the keynote address at the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference, held in association with New York Comic Con. The fourth annual ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference, “Success in a Time of Change,” will be held on Thursday, February 5th at the
“We’re very honored to have Art Spiegelman as our keynote speaker,” ICv2 President Milton Griepp said. “I sold Art’s work in my first comic distribution job in the late 70s, continued in the 80s with Raw and Maus, and at ICv2 we’ve covered his In the Shadow of No Towers, Breakdowns, and his work for Toon Books. Throughout that three decade period, he’s been an innovator and leader both in his work, and in the ways it reaches the public. I can’t think of a better speaker to keynote the ICv2 Graphic Novel Conference.”
In addition to the Spiegelman keynote, a number of other new features keep this Conference on the cutting edge. A morning Web track has been added, where expert panelists will discuss “Comics on the Web” and “Comics and Social Networks.” In the afternoon, in addition to the keynote, ICv2 will present its annual White Paper, along with the results of a new survey of graphic novel buyers conducted in association with New York Comic Con; Publishers Weekly Senior News Editor Calvin Reid will moderate a panel on graphic novel literary adaptations; and some of the most important graphic novel buyers in the country will discuss industry trends.
Griepp talked about the unique importance of this year’s Conference. “We believe that graphic novels can continue their growth into a dominant medium in American culture,” he said, “but at this time of unprecedented challenges, it’s more important than ever that the industry come together to talk about what’s working, what’s not, and how we can best meet those challenges as an industry.”
Ticket prices for retailers and librarians have been reduced for this year’s events, to make it more accessible to these critical segments of the industry.
Two sponsors, major graphic novel printer Transcontinental Printing and Publisher’s Weekly, the leading publication covering the book business, have signed on to support the Conference.
Transcontinental, in addition to sponsoring the event, will host its signature Transcontinental Printing Cocktail Party at 5 p.m., a time when attendees, speakers, and panelists can meet, mingle, network, and talk about the events of the day.
For more information on the Conference and on ticket sales, visit the New York Comic Con Website at New York Comic Con.
ICv2
ICv2 is the undisputed expert in the graphic novel field and covers comics and graphic novels, anime, movie and TV licensed products, games, and toys daily on its Website, ICv2.com, and in its magazine, the ICv2 Guide.
Conference Sponsor: Transcontinental Printing
Transcontinental is the largest printer in
Conference Sponsor: Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly is the leading publication serving all segments involved in the creation, production, marketing and sale of the written word in book, audio, video and electronic formats. It is the prime source of comprehensive news and provides unique industry data including an annotated bestseller list, hot deals and retail news. A 134-year old magazine -- with over 100,000 dedicated readers --PW is recognized as the leading publication for international and
New York Comic Con is operated by Reed Exhibitions which is the world's leading events organizer. In 2006 Reed brought together over six million industry professions from around the world generating billions of dollars in business. Today Reed events are held in 34 countries throughout the
Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman is best known for his masterful two-volume Holocaust narrative, Maus, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992.
Born in
He was the co-founder/editor, with his wife, Françoise Mouly, of RAW-the acclaimed magazine of avant-garde comics and graphics. In addition to publishing many other innovative works, RAW serialized Maus, in which Jews are portrayed as mice and Nazis as cats.
Spiegelman and Mouly have recently co-edited Little Lit, a series of three comics anthologies for children and Big Fat Little Lit (HarperCollins), which includes the three comics in one volume. In 1997 Spiegelman created a picture book for young children called Open Me… I'm A Dog (HarperCollins). Spiegelman's new children's book, Jack in the Box, was published by TOON Books in October 2008.
His last book, In the Shadow of No Towers, was selected by the New York Times as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2004. He is currently at work on a book and DVD about the making of Maus, entitled Meta Maus, and in 2009 McSweeney's will publish a 72-page sketchbook by Art Spiegelman, entitled Auto Phobia. Spiegelman's work has been published in countless periodicals, including The New Yorker, where he was a staff artist and writer from 1993-2003, and his drawings and prints have been exhibited in museums and galleries here and abroad.
In addition to the Pulitzer, Spiegelman has been honored with a Guggenheim fellowship, nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and been named one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. He lives in